Lenovo IdeaCentre gaming 5i 90T00005US 2022, Core i5-12400, 8GB, 512GB SSD, RTX 3050, Raven Black

The Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i is a budget gaming desktop that delivers solid 1080p performance thanks to its RTX 3050 and i5-12400 combo. The 8GB of RAM is a real weak spot you'll want to upgrade immediately, and the 512GB SSD fills up fast. If you're willing to tinker, it's a good value, especially on sale.

The i5-12400 sits at the 42nd percentile in our database, which is about average for this category. It's a 6-core, 12-thread chip that handles everyday tasks and gaming fine, but it's not going to blow anyone away in heavy productivity workloads. The RTX 3050 lands at the 66th percentile, which is solid for an entry-level card. You'll get playable frame rates in most titles at 1080p with medium to high settings. Esports games like Valorant, CS2, and Fortnite will run great. More demanding stuff like Cyberpunk 2077 will need some settings dialed back.

The 8GB of RAM is the real bottleneck here, sitting at the 9th percentile in our database. That's one of the worst configurations we've seen in this category. Modern games routinely want 16GB, and Windows 11 alone will happily chew through 4-5GB. Expect stuttering in open-world games and long load times if you don't upgrade. The 512GB SSD is also on the smaller side at the 31st percentile, so you'll be uninstalling games to make room for new ones sooner than you'd like.

Stacked against the HP OMEN GT22-3080, the IdeaCentre Gaming 5i loses on raw specs. The OMEN typically ships with more RAM and a beefier GPU, but you'll pay for that privilege. The ASUS ROG GM700 is another step up, aimed at buyers who want higher refresh rate gaming without compromises. Both of those machines make the Lenovo look like what it is: a budget entry point.

The Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 is an interesting alternative if you're not strictly gaming. It's more of a general-purpose desktop that can handle light gaming, and it often comes with better storage options. The Apple Mac Studio M5 Max is in a completely different universe, both in price and purpose. If you're cross-shopping those two, you need to figure out whether you actually want a gaming PC or a creative workstation, because the Lenovo is firmly in the former camp.

At $950 USD, the IdeaCentre Gaming 5i is a decent deal if you catch it on sale, but the value proposition gets murkier when you factor in the RAM upgrade you'll almost certainly need. Adding another 8GB stick will run you $20-30, which isn't bad, but it's annoying to have to do it on day one. The HP OMEN GT22-3080 and ASUS ROG GM700 both offer better out-of-the-box specs, though they typically cost more. If you're comfortable opening the case and adding RAM yourself, this Lenovo becomes a much better value. If you want something that just works without tinkering, you might want to look elsewhere or budget for the upgrade.

The Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i sits in that entry-level gaming desktop bracket, currently floating around $950 USD or $1,417 CAD depending on where you're shopping. It's a mid-tower with a 12th gen Intel Core i5-12400, an RTX 3050 with 8GB of VRAM, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 512GB SSD. On paper, that's a reasonable starter kit for 1080p gaming, but the RAM situation is going to raise some eyebrows. We'll get to that.

People searching for this machine usually want to know one thing: can it actually run modern games without falling over? The short answer is yes, at 1080p, with some caveats. The RTX 3050 is a solid entry-level GPU, and the i5-12400 holds its own for a budget chip. But 8GB of RAM in 2024 is like showing up to a potluck with a single napkin. You'll want to upgrade that almost immediately.

Build quality is actually a pleasant surprise here. The 17L chassis feels sturdy, the teal accent lighting is subtle rather than gamer-tacky, and it runs quiet in most scenarios. Lenovo clearly put some thought into airflow with that front panel design. It's not going to win any beauty contests, but it won't embarrass you on a desk either.

Skip this one if you want a plug-and-play experience with no tinkering. The 8GB of RAM is going to frustrate you in modern games, and the 512GB SSD means constant storage management. If you're hoping to game at 1440p or 4K, the RTX 3050 isn't going to cut it for demanding titles. Creative professionals should look at something like the Apple Mac Studio M5 Max instead, and buyers who want a more powerful out-of-the-box gaming experience should check out the HP OMEN GT22-3080 or ASUS ROG GM700. Also, if you're not comfortable opening a PC case to add RAM, this probably isn't the machine for you.

Should you buy the Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i? If you're looking for an affordable entry into PC gaming and you don't mind adding a stick of RAM, yes. It's a capable 1080p machine with a solid upgrade path and decent build quality. The RTX 3050 will keep you gaming for a few years at medium settings, and the i5-12400 is fine for everyday use.

But if you want something that works perfectly out of the box, or you're hoping to play at 1440p or higher, this isn't it. The 8GB of RAM is a genuine problem, and the 512GB SSD means you'll be managing your game library constantly. Factor in the reports of missing components from some buyers, and you've got a machine that requires a bit of patience. For the right buyer, that patience pays off. For everyone else, there are better-equipped options if you can stretch your budget.